Extra farmhand

Feb 6, 2002 12:00 PM, by Karen McMahon

If you need a utility vehicle to handle tough jobs around your fields or yard, check out the reinvented Ranger 6x6 from Polaris. The first Ranger 6x6 came out in 1998. Polaris redesigned its new 2002 version and made it more powerful to create a more versatile utility vehicle. The redesigned 6x6, available in Mid-March, is added to Polaris’s family of Rangers that includes a Ranger 4x4 and 2x4. The company claims that these Rangers are the hardest working and smoothest riding utility vehicles on the market.

The new Ranger 6x6 can handle 1,500 lbs. of payload, offers 7 in. of ground clearance and will fit into the back of a standard pickup truck. A Polaris 500, 30-hp, 4-valve, 4-stroke engine powers the vehicle. The engine is liquid cooled and has dry sump lubrication.

The vehicle is equipped with an automatic Polaris Variable Transmission. The driver uses a console-mounted shift selector to choose high and low forward gear ranges or reverse. The power is fed to the four rear wheels. But when conditions get challenging, the driver can switch to a dash-mounted, on-demand, true 6-wd. The Polaris 6-wd system senses when the rear wheels lose traction, then automatically engages both front wheels. An independent MacPherson strut front suspension provides 6.24 in. of travel and great maneuverability. Features such as an 8-gal. fuel capacity, ability to cross water up to 30 in. deep and handling improvements make the new Ranger 6x6 great for farm and ranch work.

Suggested retail price: $9,949. For more information, contact Polaris’ Ranger Information, Dept. FIN, 2100 Hwy. 55, Medina, MN 55340, 763/542-0500, www.polaris industries.com.